Roddy White: This team doesn’t have an identity right now

Falcons receiver Roddy White says that if his team is going to start winning games, it needs to figure out what kind of team it wants to be.

White said on 92.9 The Game that the Falcons aren’t doing anything well, on offense or defense.

“To tell you the truth, this team doesn’t have an identity right now because we don’t do one thing really, really well,” White said, via the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “That’s why I think we’re struggling. In years past, on defense we got a lot of turnovers. So, we’d turn the turnovers into points. This year we are not getting any turnovers. On the offensive side, we are not moving the ball like we used to. Even when we are moving it, we suck in the red zone right now. You know, it’s terrible when we get down there.”

White, who has been playing through a sprained ankle, said that in hindsight, he wonders if he should have sat out a couple of games to let his injury fully heal. Still, for as badly as this season has gone both for him and the team, White doesn’t believe the Falcons are as bad as their record suggests.

“It’s been frustrating because we haven’t been winning,” White said. “Coach tells us every day, that’s just the NFL. People get hurt in the league every day. That can’t be the reason why are losing games. You have to find other ways to win. . . . We are 1-4. But the best part about it is that we go in there every week thinking that we are three plays from being 4-0 or three plays from being 5-0. There are a lot of good things that we are doing on film.”

Now the Falcons need to find a way to turn those good things on film into a way to win games.

They were built as a team that can run the ball and then hurt you with play action pass but bringing in Jackson hasn’t done anything for the run game.

On defense they have struggled to get to the QB and I’m not sure why they let Abraham go as he had double digit sacks last season.

wearethesteelers says:Oct 12, 2013 8:50 PM

Falcons are fighting for the basement. We laugh at them.

allday420ap says:Oct 12, 2013 8:51 PM

wearethesteelers, I hope you enjoy the irony of your statement

topauthority says:Oct 12, 2013 8:52 PM

another sports talk station in Atlanta had a campaign going friday, “get down-y for clowney”. Atlanta- the worst sports town in America Lol. even Samuel L. Jackson abandoned the whole “rise up” campaign this year.

The problem with this team is the defense! And the injuries are KILLING Us! The offense has put up thw points and been in every game but it doesnt matter how many points they put up if the defense cant stop anyone!! They should of never let Abraham go, even getting older he was still a great pass rusher!

As for SJax its hard todetermine what he can bring to this team since hes only played 2 games! Hes identity fits this team though!

And for all you Mike Smith and Matt Ryan haters, they have done wonders foe this team and have had a winning season every year since they arrived! And thats a team that had never had a winning season in back to back years until then! Matt Ryan is NOT a average QB! Hes put up big numbers his whole career and did it for the first 3 with his best WRs being Michael Jenkins and a ageing Brian Finneran outside of Roddy White!

These guys were the media darling and all assumed they owned that perch forever but now the tide has turned and the media finally sees who they are.

jacobslatter says:Oct 12, 2013 9:38 PM

The main problem for the Falcons that didn’t need to happen was letting go of long time RT Tyson Clabo and have fight for the position former 3rd round disappointment Mike Johnson (once a candidate for RG) and 2nd year project Lamar Holmes. MJ was winning the battle but gets injured AGAIN for the season leaving inexperienced sieve Holmes stink it up and be a main contributor in the opening day loss to the Saints. So bad he was in came RT Jeremy Trueblood who currently starts opposite a disappointing LT Sam Baker who has struggled this year after signing for lotsa ca$h after his contract year. Add in a second year center Peter Konz who has struggled and even if Michael Turner were healthy here he’d average .9 yards per carry. At least Osi at DE was a good signing.

Roddy White says…..”We are 1-4. But the best part about it is that we go in there every week thinking that we are three plays from being 4-0 or three plays from being 5-0. There are a lot of good things that we are doing on film.
…………………………………………………..

This is when a Franchise QB is supposed to wins games. When a team is 3 or 4 plays from victory their franchise QB is supposed to make the difference and win those games.

What a cheesy way to try and brainwash himself into thinking they have a good team.

bennyb82 says:Oct 12, 2013 10:07 PM

NY Giants are having a disappointing season but the Atlanta Falcons have to be the most disappointing team this year.

detectivejimmymcnulty says:Oct 12, 2013 10:12 PM

The Falcons 100% made the right move for Julio. This past draft and offseason did them in. Letting Abraham walk was bad and not going after Richard Seymour was worse. They traded a 3rd round pick to move up in the 1st to take a CB. In the 2nd round they took another CB. The Falcons need beef, but it seems like they’re the only people who don’t see that.

This is a really, really good team that is maybe showing just a small gap in the age department. Meaning that they have a really good group of very young guys and a really good group of older guys.

But they’re lacking that solid middle ground that can give a team it’s identity. The older guys are getting hurt or not playing as well as years past and the young guys haven’t quite figured out how to pick the team up and be the leaders.

Lets not forget that halg of the starting defense is rookies. Plus were with our starting RB, FB, now Julio, a starting DE Bierman, oline is banged up, best LB is out til week 11 Witherspoon and Roddy and Asante are banged up. No thats not an excuse but it does hurt!! And for everyone who says it was a dumb move to trade all those draft picks for Julio, well id much rather have Julio (a top 5 WR) than Greg Little, Brandon Weeden and 3 other nobodys who those picks turned into!

And yes we traded up this year to take a CB and then took another in the 2nd because we lost Brent Grimes in FA. It was a huge need. One good thing about this season if it keeps goin bad is well have a chance to snag some great defensive help early in the draft!

akasaintsbaby says:Oct 12, 2013 10:59 PM

Every team has injuries, next man up. The Falcons do have an identity, they are a 1-4 team. You are what your record says you are.

I never thought the falcons were that good. overated sums up the coaching staff and the pkayers. I never thought the falcons are a team to reach the super bowl

fordmandalay says:Oct 12, 2013 11:21 PM

It’s actually pretty strange, the Falcons have been an ‘up and coming, on the verge’ team for literally as long as I can remember, back to the ’70s – and they’ve never been able to make that final leap. Don’t know if thats a blessing or a curse.

Well let’s just take a quick look at defensive players drafted AFTER Julio Jones; JJ Watt… Nick Fairley…. ooooo I think we can stop right there.

hyperalgesia says:Oct 13, 2013 2:10 AM

i thought their identity has been 1 and done for awhile…in the playoffs. Or was that none and done? Either way, lack of identity points to a coaching deficiency.

eagleswin says:Oct 13, 2013 7:50 AM

You know Roddy, if you hadn’t played decoy for 4 weeks with a high ankle sprain to keep your consecutive games streak alive you might now be in a position to help your team. As it turns out, you didn’t help your team, you didn’t help your self, and you hurt your team going forward so you have a big part in what’s going on as well.

91devinhester23 says:Oct 13, 2013 8:45 AM

translation: this team is bad at everything right now

boisestatewhodat says:Oct 13, 2013 9:21 AM

The Saints own little brother’s identity…their identity is whatever the Saints say it is!